The Daqan Lords

The Daqan Lords are the protectors and rulers of Terrinoth, renowned for the ardor and discipline of their soldiers. Spearmen marching in measured ranks, columns of fully armored mounted knights, and lumbering rune golems animated by magic are commonly found among the forces of the Daqan Lords.[1]

This race consists entirely of humans, though
they are the friendliest of all the races towards the others. They are know for their discipline, valor, and fighting skills.

History: After the First Darkness ended, an era of peace began, with King Daqan presiding over the 100 year peace. (Daqan was presumably given long life by the magic of Timorran). However, Daqan mysteriously vanished during the Second Darkness, and was never seen again. People still whisper that Daqan will one day return to guide them through a dark time. The RuneWars are seen by most as that time. After Daqan's disappearance, the empire was split. The Council of Thirteen took over ruling the northern Baronies, while each Free City became a loosely allied self governing city-state. The most powerful of these city states was Tamalir, which was the only Free City given its autonomy during the reign of Daqan. This was meant to be a temporary solution until Daqan returned, but the system is still in use today.

Other important Free Cities:
Riverwatch: Home to people of many different races, like most of the Free Cities, however, it is unusual in its high Orc population, something shared only by Dawnsmoor.

Dawnsmoor: A loosely governed city of mercenaries, traders, and refugees, populated by Orcs, Elves, Humans, but not dwarves.

Greyhaven: Home to the most prestigious magical academies.

Forge: The only Free City consisting of primarily one non-human race. Forge is mostly dwarves, with a few humans who are descended from refugees from the Third Darkness. There are strong tensions in the city.

Between the Second and Third Darkness, the Usurper Kings overthrew the Council and took over the free cities. However, a combination of revolts, assassinations, and just plain bad luck killed them off. This led to the popular myth that any who tried to claim Daqan's throne would meet a tragic demise. The Council and The Free Cities rule most of Terrinoth to this day.

Troops:
Besides the usual cavalry, infantry, etc., Daqan features Rune Golems, which are magical constructs created during the reign of Daqan for use in emergencies. Siege Golems are massive, sightless golems that lumber around with a huge crossbow strapped to their back, which makes them a powerful siege unit, as well as a terrifying Catapult-type unit (no race actually has real catapults, an
interesting fact). Also, many great heroes and generals ride a Roc, a massive bird that dominates the battlefield. Battlemages are commonly
found in the ranks, and they are experts at creating "Rune Shields", which protect their troops. Finally, constructs called Ironbound are rare but powerful, being nearly unkillable.[2]